


Hello, Neighbor

by pilbugg



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Baby's first ao3 post, Borrowers AU, Gen, Tags to be updated as we go, dehumanizing use of it/its pronouns, technically. and just for a little bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29728344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pilbugg/pseuds/pilbugg
Summary: Tommy and his father move into a house with a bit of a mouse problem.
Comments: 32
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Coolattas move into their new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hlvrai has gotten me to write for the first time in two years so lets hope i'm not noticeably rusty

Today was going to be a good day, because Tommy decided it would be.

Now, Tommy's no child- he's in his mid thirties, he's got his degree, was hired and fired from multiple jobs. That doesn't mean he's not allowed to be nervous when moving somewhere new. Changes are stressful, and even though he's not losing his middle school friends to a parent's new job, he's losing the house he grew up in to his parent's new job. And that's fine! The house was old and kind of falling apart anyways. Plus, the new place is close to a dog park, so he knows Sunkist will like it.

Still, having his living situation uprooted brings him unease, so when Tommy woke up, he announced to no one in particular that he was going to have a good day. Manifest joy and it will come to you and all that jazz.

Tommy looks out the window of the backseat of the van, trying to take in the neighborhood. It seems to be just as full of old houses as his last neighborhood, in various states of repair- some have vines climbing up their walls, others have noticeable dents in their gutters from walnuts falling from the trees. It's nice- a piece of familiarity in a new place. Comforting. Sunkist seems to be enjoying it, too, her tail wagging a mile a minute as she sticks her head out the window and savors the breeze. Autumn was just about over, and he could tell that she appreciated the lower temperature.

The car takes a turn, pulling into the driveway of one of the cleaner houses. Tommy takes Sunkist's leash, opening the door and letting her jump out and stretch her legs. He hops out as well, shutting the door behind him and taking in the house for the first time. It's smaller than their old one, though he knows that's not quite fair, considering their old house was more of a mansion. It's one story- though he thinks he can see an attic- with a garage, and it looks much more welcoming than where he was living yesterday. It's comfy- homey, like a cozy little cottage.

His father exits the van as well, pocketing the keys and reaching a hand down to stroke Sunkist's fur. "It's a... nicer, neighborhood than the last one, isn't it?"

Tommy smiles at his father, leaning against him as Sunkist circles them (as much as she can, still attached to her leash.) "The last one wasn't a- w-wasn't a neighborhood."

His father huffs at that, a breathy little chuckle. "We did live in the middle of nowhere, didn't we?"

"A little bit."

That gets his father to break a smile, gently pushing Tommy off him and moving to open the back of the van. "I'll unload the boxes... why don't you take Sunkist around the neighborhood? Let her stretch her legs."

Sunkist perks up at the suggestion, and Tommy scratches the top of her head. "S-Sure." Sunkist is two steps ahead of him, trotting forward and only slightly pulling Tommy behind her. Tommy lets out some slack on her leash, moving to catch up. "We'll- We'll be back soon!"

The neighborhood is quiet as they walk through it- not that he expected noise, children don't exactly play out in the streets anymore. They circle the neighborhood, taking in the sounds of birds in the trees- they walk past a house with another dog in the backyard, which Sunkist loved, so it wasn't a total loss, but overall, the place just felt... empty. He expected to see somebody else, meet a neighbor. He'd never had a neighbor before, and he had to admit, it was a bit disappointing to not see anyone.

The leash tugs behind him, and he turns to see Sunkist has stopped, staring straight ahead- Tommy follows her gaze to see someone else. They're standing outside of his house, hands in their pockets and looking between his father's van and the house. They're wearing a baggy, comfortable hoodie, and have a messenger bag slung over their shoulder. They're pulling at the strings of a hat that looks hand-knitted, with little earflaps. They don't notice Tommy as he's excitedly walking up, pulling in slack on Sunkist's leash so she doesn't jump on them.

"H-Hi!" The person jumps a bit, turning to face him. They don't make eye contact, instead looking down and staring at Sunkist. "My name's Tommy!"

They hum. "S'nice." They pause a moment, rocking a bit on their heels, before continuing. "M'Benrey. You just move in? New neighbor?"

Tommy nods, tapping his fingers on his leg absently. "Yeah! Me and my dad- and- and Sunkist."

They nod, watching Sunkist almost suspiciously. Maybe they're scared of dogs? "They nice? Not gonna... bite, or whatever?"

"No, Sunkist's nice! I don't think she's ever bit- she doesn't bite, she's gentle-"

"She eat mice? Chase squirrels or whatever?" Benrey pulls the strings of their hat harder, pulling it down and hiding their eyes a bit. Tommy raises an eyebrow, silently asking Benrey to elaborate. "Couple'a... mice. Live in that house. Little meeces. Don't want 'em to get eaten." They crouch down so they're at eye level with Sunkist. "You're not gonna eat the meeces, are you?"

Sunkist trots up to Benrey, and licks their nose. Tommy smiles. "I think that's a no."

Benrey, seemingly satisfied with that answer, stands back up, and Tommy can see a little smile on their face. "So... welcome to the neighborhood, I guess. Real nice that you're here."

"Thank you! Wh- which house is yours?"

They tense up at that question. "Um." They point to the one next to Tommy's, to the right. "That one. Real nice. Roomy. Just me."

"Oh! Well, m-maybe we could visit sometime!"

"Yeah. Maybe." They move from fiddling with their hat's strings to putting them in their mouth. "I gotta... I gotta go, but I was serious about the mice." They look Tommy in the eyes for the first time in the conversation. "Don't put out traps or whatever, though. They don't bother nobody. Just..." they look away again. "Watch where you step."

Tommy nods. "I'll keep an eye out." He lets go of the slack on Sunkist's leash. "It- It was nice meeting you, Benrey!"

"Yeah. You too." They give him another small smile and walk off, going down the street. Tommy lets out a breath, and walks up the steps onto the porch and into the house.

The house is just as homey on the inside as it was outside- a bit cramped, but cozy. The living room had a fireplace, the kitchen's appliances looked barely touched (which Tommy would be taking full advantage of), and he could see his boxes were in the bedroom hallway, seemingly left out so he could choose which room he wanted. Sunkist trots past him, poking open the door on the left side with her nose; he follows her, and finds her situating herself on the bed- seemed she would be picking their room, then.

He spends the rest of the day pushing his boxes into his room, and unpacking as much as he can- he rebuilds his desk, pushing it against the wall so it faces out the window, and put the sheets on his bed, which Sunkist promptly musses up as she makes herself comfortable again. He notices a little hole in the wall near the leg of the bedframe, and makes a mental note to cover it; he then remembers Benrey's mention of the house's mice and how much they cared for their wellbeing, and erases it from his mental checklist. His father orders takeout for the both of them, half of which goes into the first tupperware of the new fridge (and some of that went into Sunkist's bowl.)

Once evening comes, he wishes his father goodnight and settles into bed, pulling out a thick book on zoology from university that tends to put him to sleep. It's fascinating stuff, though, and even though he probably won't need the refresher for his new job at the local zoo, he likes studying and restudying it- it holds his interest long enough for him to get tired. Sunkist curls up near his legs, settling in for sleep. Once Tommy realizes that he can't keep his eyes open long enough to read the next paragraph, he closes the book and places it on his bedside, clicking off the light, and leaning forward to place a kiss on Sunkist's fuzzy little head. He pulls the covers over himself, quickly drifting off.

Under the bed, near the leg of the bedframe, a small man pokes his head out of the wall's opening, mouselike ears twitching as he listens for the consistent breathing of a sleeping creature. He moves out from under the bed, pulling a fish hook attached to string from his belt- he swings it once, twice, then lets it fly, throwing it up to the top of the bedframe. It catches on the end, and he pulls it to check it's hold, then begins scaling the side until he reaches the top. The sight of the sleeping giant in front of him unnerves him, but the dog curled up by it's side drives that feeling into pure fear- said dog's eyes are open, and when he notices, he freezes. It seems to disregard him, though, shutting it's eyes and cuddling up closer to it's owner. He lets out a tense breath, and begins to scale back down the rope, taking it with him; the man moves deeper into the walls, preparing to warn his friends to return to their normal caution now that the house is home to beans again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've gotten a couple chapters prewritten so i wanna space out the posting, that way i don't just post three chapters and drop off the face of the earth. i know nothing really happened in this chapter but i hope i got you at least little bit interested :)
> 
> come yell at me at @pilbugg on tumblr if you wanna


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy settles in. A mouse gets curious.

Sunkist wakes Tommy up in the morning, licking at his face as sun pours in from the window. He grumbles, pushing her snout away, mumbling "good mornings" and apologies if he was too rough.

He sits up in bed, stretching out and yawning. He gets up and gets dressed; he reaches a hand down to pet Sunkist's head as they both walk out to the kitchen. The clock on the oven reads 10:30- he didn't have work today, but he's still trying to build a routine, so he counts it as 'oversleeping.' There's a note on the kitchen island, left by his father; once he sees it, he notices that his father's van isn't in the driveway. He picks up the note: "Left for work. Will pick up groceries on my way home. Feel free to eat leftovers. I love you." He opens a drawer under the island and pulls out a pen- underneath his father's message, he writes "I love you too :)" and puts the note back where he found it.

Sunkist nudges his elbow from the floor. Tommy smiles at her- "I love you, too." She gives a little _boof _, and licks his elbow.__

____

__

There isn't much food in the house, other than last night's leftovers- there are a few boxes and cans in the pantry (presumably a gift from the previous tenant, though Tommy suspects they just didn't want to get rid of it) that he rifles through. He ends up finding and making a can of soup, and pulls out a box of crackers as well. It's exciting to break in the kitchen, even if it is just over a bowl of chicken noodle that needs to heat up in a pot. The soup's not that good, just noodles and chicken broth, and the crackers are stale, but it's the thought that counts, he supposed.

Once he's done, he gets to work. He finishes unpacking his boxes and setting up his furniture, rebuilding his shelves and moving in his dresser. He puts all his books in order on the shelf, decorating it with little fake plants that made the trip with him. His wall pieces are hung up, Sunkist's toy box is filled and left open so she can duck in and grab her rope- once he's finished, he claps his hands and checks the time.

It's only 12:30- barely any time has passed, and he's gotten done everything on his agenda today. Tommy's gonna have to pick up a hobby at this rate. Maybe crochet.

He sighs, peeking out of his bedroom and into the living room- Sunkist is curled up on the couch. She's not supposed to be up there, but Tommy figured he'd let it slide. Just this once. He poked back into his room, picking his thick zoology book off his bedside and walking back into the living room. Sunkist picks her head up off her paws and watches him as he sits down next to her. She yawns, stretching out, cuddling up closer to him and laying her head on his legs. He smiles, scratching behind her ears, and opens his book- before he knows it, he's drifting off, falling asleep with the book still open on his lap.

* * *

Inside of the walls of the Coolatta house, a boy scuttles his way through tunnels to the living room.

Last night, Joshua's dad came home from his trip outside, sat him down, and warned him (again) about the danger of beans. He was fully planning on zoning out- he knew beans were dangerous, he knew he had to be careful, blah blah blah- but then his dad mentioned a dog. Joshua had never seen a dog before. He didn't even really know what they looked like. It excited him- he loved watching the animals outside from the windowsill when the house was empty, and now there would be one in the house? He needed to see it. He didn't voice this, however- simply let his dad finish, hug him and remind him he loved him, and then leave for deeper in the walls to talk to the rest of the borrowers in the house about the new tenants.

His dad came home from his trek early that morning, and immediately crashed into his nest. Joshua was taking full advantage of his father's exhaustion; he wasn't supposed to be heading out of the walls, especially not when they hadn't grasped the bean's routines yet. It's just that this would probably be his only chance to see the dog up close- he wouldn't touch it, wouldn't even get near it. Take a peek, then go home. Besides, he's nine, nearly ten now! He's basically a teenager, which is basically grown up. He could survive in the open for one minute.

He makes it to the opening in the living room- a ripped piece of carpet leading to a hole in the floorboards. He climbs up the popsicle stick ladder and pushes aside the carpet, poking his head up to see that the beans have moved a couch over the opening. Long legs hang over the side- Joshua shivers. It slipped his mind that he'd also be getting close to a bean, closer than he'd ever gotten to one. It'd all be worth it for that dog, though. He runs to the edge of the couch, slowing his pace dramatically as he makes it to the couch leg- he does his best to peek his head out from under it without exposing too much of himself.

The bean appears to be asleep, a book open in it's lap and a silly hat nearly falling off it's head. Also in it's lap is perhaps the softest looking thing Joshua's ever seen. It's big- bigger than he expected- with long, golden fur and clipped claws on it's paws. He sees it's wet nose twitch- it picks it's head up from where it's resting in the bean's lap and yawns, revealing pointed, jagged teeth. Joshua swallows, not turning his gaze away from it as he steps back under the couch. He got his glimpse at this new creature, now he can go home before it gets any ideas with those teeth-

He feels a _thud _shake the floor behind him, turning around and seeing the dog jumping off the couch. It's got it's nose to the ground, sniffing around where Joshua was just standing. It crouches low, turning it's head to the underside of the couch and locks eyes with him- Joshua flinches so hard he stumbles and falls backwards. He hears the couch creak above him, and sees the bean's legs gently move, accompanied by a groggy murmur of "Sunkist?"__

____

____

Joshua shoots up, stumbling a bit as he catches his footing and slips back to the safety of the floorboards.

Tommy gets up off the couch, and pulls Sunkist away from it, leaning to look underneath- he manages to catch a glimpse of a fuzzy tail darting under the carpet, before whatever caught Sunkist's attention disappears. "You're alright, girl." He gently pets her neck. "It's just the mice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally. some little guys in a story about little guys.
> 
> tumblr's @pilbugg if u wanna tell me stuff


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joshua gets back home. The Freemans have a guest for dinner.

Joshua doesn't stop running until he's near the bedroom, near home. Just before he reaches their little alcove, he takes a moment to lean against the wall and calm himself down. He was almost seen, and maybe almost eaten by a dog. He still thinks it was worth it, though- almost doesn't mean entirely. He's home, and in one piece. No harm, no foul. Taking one final breath and letting it out in a sigh, he pushes himself off the wall and down the rest of the narrow walkway to their burrow.

When he steps through their cardboard door, he finds his dad pacing in their front room, biting his nails with his ears pressed flat against his head. He whips his head to face the door as Joshua steps inside. His dad breathes out a little "Joshie...!" as he runs up to him and scoops him into a hug. Joshua can feel the tension leave his dad's shoulders.

"H-Hi, Dad." Joshua signs, smiling as his father pulls away, leaving his arms on his son's shoulders. "Something wrong?"

"No, no- I'm sorry," his dad laughs a bit, trying to lighten the mood from his obvious worry a few moments ago. "I-I've been a little..." he made a motion with his hand, expression falling a bit. "... on edge since the new tenants showed up. When I woke up, and you were gone, I kind of- I got myself worked up, is all." He swallows, smiling again shakily. "Besides, I'm your dad, it's my job to worry about you." He ruffles Joshua's hair, and he snickers and swats at his dad's hand. "This is just all in a day's work." He claps Joshua's shoulder's one more time, and turns to walk to their kitchenette, picking up two shaped aluminum foil cups from their cupboard and walking over to the water-filled shot glass they used as a sink. Joshua breathed out a little sigh of relief, slumping into a chair at their table- he'd gotten away with it scot-free.

"Where'd you go so early, anyways?" Come _on _.__

____

__

He hesitates a moment before he answers, though it's a moment too long. "I heard that Forzen was making a quicker path to the Coomers' burrow. Wanted to go see it." His dad gives him a Look, scooping some water into the cups from the sink and passing one to Joshua, sitting across from him. Joshua hunches in on himself more as he takes the cup, sipping silently.

"Is that really why you went out today?" His dad's pulling out all the stops- the combination of his Disapointed Dad Look and the prying tone he uses screams 'just tell me and I won't be mad.'

Joshua takes the bait, hook, line and sinker. He hunches in on himself further, shrugging and tapping the cup with his fingers.

His dad sighs, drinking from his cup. "Where'd you go today, Joshua?"

He's been thoroughly caught, and he doesn't want to make his dad mad by digging himself into a deeper hole. It all comes out in an anxiety-fueled flurry- "I went out into the living room to go see the dog- I've never seen one before! It saw me but- the bean didn't, and it just thought I was a mouse, so it's fine! I didn't mean to do anything wrong, I just..." he trails off at the end, moving his hands into his lap and sitting in silence with his dad.

His dad's thinking, Joshua can tell. Dad's not looking at him, but he's staring into the corner, gripping his cup so hard Joshua can see it bending slightly. He sighs, getting up and putting his cup back in the cabinet. He turns his head to look at Joshua. "You know I don't want you going out. Especially now." Joshua nods, grimacing. "And you know what you did was incredibly dangerous. Getting close to a dog _and _a bean? With nothing- and no one- to protect you?" He nods again. His dad looks like he's about to go on an 'I'm not mad, just disappointed' speech, but seems to cut himself off before he gets started. He sighs, finally turning to fully face Joshua.__

____

____

"I don't want you going out again. At least, not without someone with you, or in daylight. And I am mad- that was very dangerous, and very stupid." Joshua hangs his head. "But.. I can't blame you for being curious. God knows I was that rowdy at your age." Joshua looks up, and sees his dad with a small smile. "As long as you know it was wrong, and you won't do it again, I guess I can... let it slide. Just this once. I won't be nice if there's a second time, that's a promise."

Joshua beams, jumping out of his chair and running up to hug his dad- he pulls away to sign, "Thank you, I'm sorry, it won't happen again, I promise-"

His dad laughs, ruffling his hair again. "Alright, alright, kiddo, calm down." He picks up Joshua's empty cup from the table and puts it in the cupboard. "Benrey's coming around tonight, so don't eat anything until they get here, alright?" Joshua nods, turning to head towards his bedroom- "Josh?" He stops in the hallway, and turns back to his dad. "I love you, okay?"

"I love you too, Dad."

* * *

Around sundown, Benrey makes themself known- they throw open the door to the burrow, shouting their arrival and holding a sizeable slab of chocolate over their head. Joshua claps his hands when he sees it, and his dad whistles at it. "How'd you manage to get _that?" ___

____

____

"it's not just that." They have a mischievous smile on their face as they drop the chocolate onto the table with a thunk. "I got a whole bar."

Dad looks at them, shocked. "You did not."

"I did. Gave everybody else a piece. Ask 'em. Bein' nice. Community service, deliverin' treatses." Dad looks impressed, and Benrey delights in it, smiling wide and showing off fanged teeth. It's different when Benrey gets something big, Joshua knows- Benrey's not like the other small folk in the house- but Dad doesn't, and impressing him makes Benrey happy, so he keeps quiet as his dad marvels at what was probably minimal effort from Benrey. 

They pull an exacto blade from their bag, and start carving into the chunk. "Stopped by the front of the house before I came back 'round here." They get the blade through the chocolate, and hand the carved-off piece to Joshua, who immediately takes the biggest bite he can. "Heard the new humans talkin' to the, um-" they smack their lips. "-the last ones. About the 'mouse problem.'" Josh can see his dad start wringing at his hands at the mention of it. "Heard one of 'em say they weren't gonna set up traps. 'Nd that the dog doesn't chase little things." They carve off another chunk and give it to Dad, breaking the rest in half with their hands. They hold their piece in their mouth as they reach in their pocket and pull out a piece of clingwrap, covering the extra chocolate and handing it to Joshua. "Take this to storage, please and thank you?" Joshua nods, running off with it deeper into the burrow.

Benrey jumps up to sit on the table. "Don't think there's too much to worry 'bout with these ones. Seem like good guys. You’ll be fine, Gordon."

Gordon sighs, leaning against the kitchenette's counter. "I know. I just-" he runs a hand through his hair. "It's not exactly the most comfortable thing, having new beans in the house? You can avoid them, you live outside- I basically rely on them to live, and they could kill us if they saw us. You can't blame me for being anxious." Benrey raises an eyebrow- Gordon huffs out a laugh. "More anxious than usual, I mean." He taps his fingertips on the countertop behind him, sighing before continuing. "I don't exactly have the greatest history with beans. I've had to move twice now- once with Joshie, when he was little... and Joshie- he's almost that age where I'm supposed to teach him how to borrow, but I can't without figuring out their schedules- he's getting restless, just today, he went out while I was sleeping! Gave me a heart attack- he almost got _seen _. I just- I worry about him. What if he does it again? Gets caught and kept in a jar, or- or mangled by that dog- I just- I can't let that happen to him-"__

____

____

He feels heavy arms wrap around him tightly, bringing him out of his spiral. "Calm down. Workin' yourself up again." Benrey murmurs into his side, and Gordon exhales.

"I guess I am."

"It'll be fine." Benrey picks his head off Gordon, smiling at him, and Gordon feels his lips quirk up in turn. "Eat your candy. Took me two hours to get that."

That gets Gordon to laugh. "How kind of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i realize by making benrey not human i'm having my cake and eating it too, but this is My self indulgent fanfic and get to i do what i want
> 
> come on over to @pilbugg on tumblr if u wanna yell at me


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's father gets home. Gordon gets ready to leave.

Tommy's father gets back home around eight that night, hauling in groceries.

Tommy helps him unload the bags, putting fresh fruits in the bowl on the counter and unloading the rest into the shelves of the pantry. On the last bag, he pulls out something that... isn't food. He looks to his father, confused, holding up the box- "Glue traps?"

His father nods. "The... previous, homeowner, mentioned a pest problem. Getting in the pantry, breaking through the boxes." His father reaches into the bag, pulling out a second box of them. "I figured I'd... nip it in the bud, as they say."

Tommy swallows, nervously looking down at the trap boxes. He flips it over, reading the back. "Are they... non-lethal?"

"Simply wash off the glue." Tommy chews at the inside of his cheek, tapping the box with his fingers as he holds it- he feels Sunkist press herself at his side, and he moves a hand to stroke her fur. "Something... wrong?"

"I j-just-" he sighs, putting the box back on the counter. "The neighbor- Benrey- I met yesterday, they told me about- about the mice? They seemed to care a lot about them- the little things, and... I-I don't know." He crouches down and starts stroking Sunkist's fuzzy neck with both hands. "I don't wanna hurt th-them. The mice, I mean. They asked me n-not to use traps, so- it feels weird." 

He hears his father hum at the counter. "I didn't realize we had a neighbor."

Tommy nods. "It was the first thing they told me about. I don't- they wouldn't be so upfront about it if it didn't- if it wasn't important to them."

"Why do they care about our mice? Surely they'd be more... preoccupied, with the pests in their own home."

Tommy works his fingers through Sunkists fur. "Wh-Whatever their reasoning- is, I-I just- I don't want to- to upset them, I- th-they-" He cuts himself off, groaning. He takes a deep breath- clear his head and try again. "I don't know why they care so much, but they do, and they told me that they want the mice to be safe. I don't want to go out of my way to upset them." He's got his eyes shut, trying to focus on getting his thoughts out correctly, and he feels Sunkist lick his nose and try to crawl into his lap. He adjusts his grip to accommodate, wrapping his arms around her.

"How about..." his father pauses. Tommy can hear his fingers tap on the countertop from where he's crouching. "... a compromise." Tommy looks up at him. "I'll set them up, just in the pantry. No where... else, so the one's who aren't stealing food don't get caught. Keep a note on the door of how to get rid of glue in case one does step in it." 

Tommy considers it for a second. It seems fair- Benrey did say they didn't bother anyone, and if that's true, they wouldn't be getting in the pantry. No harm done. Still, he didn't want them to be put in danger just to eat, even if the traps themselves couldn't kill them... "Can I leave out crackers for them? So they don't need- don't have to go in to get something to eat." He sees his dad smile at him.

"That'd be fine. Just not too many, so they don't rely on it. We're not keeping pets." Sunkist boofs in Tommy's arms. "Well- more pets."

* * *

"You sure you're good to go?"

Benrey's holding Joshua in their lap, sitting on the floor of the Freemans' kitchen. Gordon's putting his hair up into a ponytail, securing it with a twist tie and hauling his backpack onto the kitchen table.

"Better now than later." He opens the flap, leafing through it's contents to make sure he has everything- extra rope, two matchsticks with a strip of sandpaper to strike them, some clingwrap, and plenty of space for carrying the night's earnings. "We haven't had fresh fruit in the house since the last beans moved out, and that was weeks ago." He shuts the bag again and slips it over his shoulder. "Be nice to eat something healthier than stale noodles."

Benrey groans, flopping their head back. "Man- I just brought you somethin' different today." Their head flops forward again, looking up to Gordon with a betrayed expression, though he can see the humor in their eyes. "Sayin' it's not good enough? Damn. High standards in this house. Couple'a gore-mays in here."

"G- do you mean 'gourmand'?" Gordon laughs incredulously. "Also- don't swear around my kid."

"Damn's not a swear. Dummy."

"Well, it's word I don't want you to say around Josh- you're a horrible influence, you know that?" 

"You kiddin' me? I'm the best. Everybody loves me. Benny best-friend." They adjust Joshua in their lap, moving him onto a leg so he can face Benrey. "You like me, don't'cha?" 

Joshua nods at them. "Best friend. Brings candy and lets me say swears."

Gordon smiles, exasperated. "You two are going to be the death of me." He walks over, hiking the bag up his shoulders one more time, and crouches down so he's eye-level with Joshua. "Be good for Benrey, okay?"

Joshua nods, and Benrey effortlessly picks him up from under his arms, holding him like a bean would dangle a cat. "Sleepover wit' Joshie. Gonna paint nails n' talk about boys."

Gordon laughs at the display. "Be gentle with him, he's only nine." He stands back up, walking over to the door, picking up his sewing pin leaned against the wall and sheathing it through his belt loop. "I’ll see you in the morning, alright?" Joshua waves him goodbye with both arms, and he can see Benrey's hands peek out from Josh's underarms to wave him off as well. He smiles at the both of them, shutting the door behind him as he starts his walk to the kitchen.

As he goes, he slips his pack off of one of his shoulders and swings it in front of him. He reaches in, pulling out one of the matchsticks and his sandpaper, and wraps the paper around match's wax tip. After he fixes his bag's shoulder straps, he hesitates for a moment, psyching himself up before yanking the sandpaper down and off of the tip, striking the match with a _crack _and setting it alight in his hand. It lights up the narrow, scraped-clean walls of the house, and he adjusts his grip on it, holding it up like a torch- he picks up the pace now that he can see where he's stepping. It's late, and he knows he won't be finished until Joshua is in bed- he doesn't exactly have to hurry back to see him- but he doesn't want to spend more time away from him than he has to.__

____

____

He'll be quick- in and out, then back home. Maybe he'll make them all a nice breakfast with what he picks up tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy hlvrai birthday. i have another chapper for u in like... half an hour so get ready for that
> 
> @pilbugg on tumblr as always


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon goes borrowing.

The trip to the kitchen is one Gordon’s made many times before- pass by the Coomers' burrow (and wave them "hello" if they're awake), climb up the staircase of perfectly placed nails, balance your way over a bridge of popsicle sticks and cardboard to get to one of the kitchen's entrances.

Once he reaches the opening in the kitchen, he takes a deep breath and blows out his torch, dropping it to the ground and stomping on it for good measure. Cautiously, he peeks out of the opening, a hole in the wall on top of the upper cupboards. It's dusty, and he has to hold in a sneeze as he runs to peer over the edge; there aren't any beans in the kitchen, and it's dark enough for them to have been asleep for quite a while. He scans the room as he pulls his hook from his belt- the pantry door is left just open enough for him to be able to slip inside, and there's a bowl on the counter. It's full with bananas, an orange, some blackberries and a bunch of grapes- perfect. Easy to acquire, and easy to eat. He pushes the hook into the wood of the cabinet, dropping the slack of the rope down the side and climbing to slide down the rope. Once he reaches the countertop below, he flicks his wrist, dislodging the hook and dropping it down to the laminate below with a clink. He makes quick work to get over to the bowl, climbing the rim and snapping two grapes off of the bunch and sliding them into this backpack, along with a few blackberries.

He moves back off the rim of the bowl, walking across the counter in the direction of the pantry. As he walks, he notices something that he couldn't see from the top of the cupboard- a paper plate with a spread that Gordon can only describe as looking like a simple, mini charcuterie board. There's a row of circular crackers as well as a little piece of cheese, a few sunflower seeds and half a baby carrot, all arranged with obvious care. It's tempting, but the layout is too precise, and the food is in such small numbers- anything taken, the beans would notice immediately. There seem to be enough sunflower seeds that they wouldn't be able to tell one or two were missing, so Gordon takes two and slips them into his backpack.

Once he reaches the pantry, he slips into the cracked open door, pushing his hook into the wood and sliding down his rope to get to the bottom shelf. He flicks his wrist to retrieve his hook, squinting to try to make out shapes in the darkness. It's a forest of boxes and jars, and he has to keep a hand on the wall as he walks. He's satisfied with what he borrowed tonight- they've got enough in their storage, and the addition of the fruits he picked up would help spice up whatever he cooked for a week or so. New beans weren't all that bad, he supposed- just a fact of life. It was nice to have the house to themselves, be able to walk around freely and make additions to their tunnels without fear of beans hearing, but that's the price you pay for good food. He's getting close to the pantry wall's exit, he can tell- it's getting nearly impossible to see, and he's relying more on the wall for navigation than his eyes. Once he makes it into the walls, he can light his match- for now, he's uncomfortable of the idea of drawing any attention to himself, even if the beans are asleep. Can't take any chances, just keep moving forward and get home-

Gordon's hand hits something sticky.

Instinctually, he pulls a grimace, trying to tug his hand away from whatever's he's touched, but he still feels it- it's clinging to his hand, not giving him any slack. He swallows nervously, widening his stance a bit and trying again, but he only succeeds in feeling the same cool substance under his foot. Okay. Alright. Don't panic, Gordon. What are you standing in right now? He pushes his hand a bit, feeling some give to it- it's cold, and he thinks he can feel paper underneath whatever's got him trapped- oh.

Gordon realizes he's standing in glue, glue from a glue trap, a glue trap specifically meant to catch pests like him, and any reservations about panicking he had are pushed out the window.

God, how could he be so stupid?! He tries to step away, out of the trap, pulling his still-stuck hand away from the wall and taking the trap with him. He's gotta get out of this- he's gotta go. He can't be caught. He won't get caught. He crouches as best he can, feeling for the glue-free edge of the trap, and plants his free foot down on it. He pushes down, stomping as hard as he can and pulling up his stuck leg, but he only succeeds in losing his balance, the trap slipping under his free foot, and causing him to fall on his side.

Just his luck, directly onto the glue.

He feels tears in his eyes as he crashes into it, the cold, squishy surface sending a shock through his system. He can't help but writhe fruitlessly, only succeeding in working himself deeper into the adhesive- he can't do anything here, he knows he can't, but he has to. He can't get caught. He can't. He needs to get home. To Josh. He can't stay here, stuck and at the whims of beans who don’t even know they’ve captured him yet.

Eventually, he stops struggling, the panic draining his energy- the dread in his stomach helps him keep his eyes open. He doesn’t know how long he lies there, but judging by the light of sunrise peeking through the cracked open door, it’s morning when sleep finally takes him- he can only hope that whoever finds him is his size.

* * *

Tommy is woken up by his alarm the next morning- he hears Sunkist whine as she yawns, and gently whispers an apology for waking her up.

He goes through his routine groggily, stretching out and yawning after he gets dressed for work. The first thing he does when he gets to the kitchen- besides letting Sunkist out the back door- is start making a coffee, filling a cup of water and putting it in the microwave. Sunkist scratches on the back door, he goes to let her back in- when he comes back, he spoons coffee grounds into a mug and pours the microwave water in. As he stirs it, he looks around the kitchen idly, his eyes catching on the paper plate on the counter- oh, he almost forgot about the mice!

It doesn't look like anything was taken- it looks almost untouched. A bit disappointing. His father had told him not to leave out too much, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to leave out a bit more than just crackers. He’ll probably just keep what’s already on the plate sitting out, in case something wants to take it later (though he does throw away the cheese before it can get nasty.) Speaking of, he should probably check the trap, shouldn’t he?

The pantry had a mouse hole in the back corner of the bottom shelf, hidden by the boxes left behind by the previous tenant. They'd reset all the boxes back where they'd found them when they set up the trap last night- Tommy crouches and reaches into the pantry, pushing them aside to find that the trap has been moved, laying flat rather than creased against the wall of the shelf. He can see a fuzzy tail and little rodent paws stuck in the glue- the rest of the mouse is obscured by the contents of the pantry. Tommy swallows, reaching in gently to pull out the trap, moving it into the palm of his free hand and-

That's not a mouse. That’s- that’s _decidedly _not a mouse.__

__He brings the trap closer to his face gingerly, for fear of disturbing the unconscious creature stuck within it. It's feet and ears are that of a mouse, not to mention it's tail, but otherwise, it looks like... a person, with little hand-sewn clothes and glasses made of wire. It- they can't be bigger than five inches tall, six if he's being generous, and they're laying in an awkward position, almost as if they'd ragdolled onto it. Tommy instantly feels a pang of guilt- he supposed now he knows why Benrey cared so much._ _

__He stands up slowly, gently laying the trap down on the counter- the mouseman doesn't stir. He only idles for a moment, tapping his fingers on his leg as he tries to calm himself down from his surprise enough to do something to help. He takes a deep breath, clears his head, and tugs the post it note off of the pantry door. He's in the middle of gathering everything he needs- a tupperware, a spoon, olive oil- when he realizes his hands are shaking._ _

__He sets everything down and pulls out his phone, dialing the zoo's volunteer office. He doesn't think he's in the right headspace to go into work today._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothing really happened in the last one so Two In One Day!!! the bad news that comes with this is that i've officially run out of prewritten chapters so things might slow down. just a lil bit
> 
> come yell at me at @pilbugg on tumblr


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benrey gets worried. Gordon wakes up.

Gordon's never been gone so long, and call him gay for caring, but Benrey's worried.

It's about sunrise, and Gordon said he'd be back by now. He's usually late- Benrey had so many good quips cooked up for when he got back, too, but this is bad, even for him. Josh just woke up and is asking where his dad is, and Benrey told him not to worry about it and do you want cereal, and now Joshie's holding a Cheerio like a doughnut and they can't even think about how cute this kid is because their brainspace is taken up by stupid Gordon Lateman. Selfish of him, using so many of their brain cells like that, and he isn't even here.

What's even keeping him? He get lost? Stuck? Maybe he got caught? But- no, they specifically told Tommy to be chill, and Tommy's cool. He'd never.

Would he?

Benrey swallows. It couldn't hurt to check. They've been meaning to talk to Tommy again, anyways. For personal and not for business. But they guess a little bit of business, cause they gotta find their Gordman. If everything is fine and they're just being stupid, then that's egg on their face- maybe Gordon will walk in five minutes from now and he'll look like a big dumb idiot baby who couldn't go for a few hours without their Bee Eff Eff. It can't hurt to be thorough, though.

"Joshie, you wanna go see your grandpas today?"

* * *

Gordon feels like he's floating when he comes back to consciousness- he's cold and exhausted, and his limbs feel like noodles where they're laying. He groans, trying to pull himself up, but finds he can't move his arms; they stick to the flexible material under him, and he opens his eyes groggily to see that he's still in the trap. Okay. That's... bad.

What's worse, is that he's not in the pantry anymore. Oh. Oh _shit._

The realization wakes him up immediately. He can't move his head, but his eyes dart around frantically, trying to take in his surroundings as he starts to squirm in a futile attempt to free himself. His bag is gone, but he can still feel his pin pressing against his side underneath him. He's in the kitchen, on the counter- he can't spot the dog, so he's not going to get mindlessly mauled any time soon, but what he does see chills him to the core: one of the beans is standing on the other end of the kitchen, leaned against the counter and talking into the phone as if it's just another Tuesday morning. Gordon swallows- it doesn't seem to have noticed he's awake yet.

"... I'll come in tomorrow to make up for it, i-if you need the extra help. Yeah. Th-Thank you again." He sees the bean take the phone away from its ear and turn its head towards him- he immediately shuts his eyes, and does his best to even out his breathing, though he can still feel his chest shaking on each exhale. He's unconscious. There's no need to poke or prod him because he's unconscious and he won't respond. Best thing to do is just leave him here so he can worm his way out and leave.

He hears the bean murmur a small "okay," before he feels it work it's hands under the trap and pick him up. His stomach drops as he's lifted, and he has to hold back from shuddering. He's put back down gently, and after a moment, he hears it _tsk_ nervously- and then he's being touched, nudged by a finger with controlled strength. "C'mon, lil guy..." It's trying to wake him up, but Gordon just shuts his eyes tighter and grits his teeth. He hears it sigh, and after another moment, feels a weight draped across his back. 

That gets him to open his eyes- a dishtowel has been placed over him, covering his head and blocking his view. Okay- very bad. Extremely bad. None of this is good in the first place, but this is objectively the worst so far. He does his best to be discreet as he tries to work himself free, twisting and tugging at his wrist to slip it out. The glue doesn't budge, and he can feel himself growing more frustrated; maybe it's the situation getting to him, but his impatience isn't doing him any favors, either. He rips his wrist back with a hard yank, and he feels some leeway underneath him- he keeps tugging, keeps pulling backwards, and he has to bite his lip to keep from making noise at the pain. It comes free suddenly, and Gordon audibly winces, whimpering in pain as he feels his skin tear. He averts his eyes as best he can- no need to work himself up seeing his own injury, he's got more important things to panic about.

More important things like the sharp intake of breath he hears from the bean, and the towel being taken off his head. The bean is crouched next to the counter, and Gordon can see that he's looking at it through plastic- he's been put into a tupperware container. He feels his breath pick up at the sight of it's face, bright-eyed and freckled, with a gentle expression that puts Gordon at ease for the briefest moment before he remembers _no, this is the giant that trapped you._

"H-Hi there." It's lowering it's voice, probably as to not frighten him further. "I'm going to get you out, o-okay? Can- can you move at all?" Gordon doesn't move, just stares at the bean with wide, panicked eyes-- its hopeful expression falters after a moment. "... can you speak?"

Again, silence. It lets out a disappointed sigh. "Do y- can you even understand me?"  
Gordon swallows. As much as he doesn't want to answer, he also doesn't want his captor to think he's just a dumb animal. He nods, and the bean gives a little gasp.

"Oh! Um- I need to pour cooking oil into the container, to- to loosen the glue, okay? You'll slip right out, like a penguin on a slip-n'-slide!" Good- so Gordon's dying by drowning in oil, then. He nods. The bean moves the towel back down, folding so it doesn't cover Gordon's head, and Gordon watches it tip cooking oil into a tablespoon a few times and pour it into the tupperware. It soaks into the cloth, and Gordon shivers at the cold. He feels the towel move, and sees the bean reach down into the tupperware- he feels it touch his side and he jerks, beginning to thrash with the small amount of leeway the oil is giving him. The bean pulls his hands away as if it's been burnt.

"Sorry, sorry!" It leans down again to be level with Gordon. "Is it- I need to rub in the oil to pull you off. Can I touch you? A-Are you okay with that?" Gordon's shaking his head no before the bean can ask him permission. It puts it's hands up placatingly. "Th-that's fine! Um..." the bean rubs at the back of its neck. "... do you think you could do it yourself? D-Do you need more oil?" Gordon shakes his head again, and the bean steps away a bit.

He uses his free hand to grab a handful of the towel, and start rubbing the oil into the glue under his remaining arm. He winces a bit at the sight of his injury, torn skin red and angry, but puts it aside- again, bigger fish to fry. Once both arms are free, he does the same to his hair, his torso, and once he can sit up, his legs- he can hear the bean clap quietly whenever he successfully frees another limb. He ends up having to pull his tail out with both hands, but once it slips free, he stumbles backwards into the tupperware wall with the weight. The bean is beaming at him, looking almost proud.

"I'm glad that you're okay, mister." It pauses after it says 'mister,' looking down at him questioningly- when he nods, it nods back, and continues. "I'm sorry about... y-you know." It gestures to the trap awkwardly. "I didn't mean to- for you to get stuck. I'll make sure we don't put out more." It gives him a smile. "My name's Tommy. It's nice to meet you!"

Gordon nods, if only to acknowledge his statement. The bean- "Tommy"- hesitates for a moment, before gesturing to the sink. "Do you... wanna get cleaned up?" Gordon shakes his head-- he still doesn't want to be drowned, thank you, no matter how gross the oil feels on his skin- and Tommy hums. "Well- let me get you out of the tupperware."

Tommy's hands move to the tupperware, and Gordon instinctually reaches for his pin- as he pulls it out of his belt loop, Tommy stutters. "I-I'm not gonna touch you! I'm-- I'll just tip the container, okay?" Gordon narrows his eyes at the bean, before slowly re-sheathing his pin. Tommy grabs the tupperware by the fingertips, giving Gordon a moment to ready himself before tipping the tupperware forward and onto its side. Once Tommy's hands have withdrawn, Gordon steps out tentatively; once he's got his feet on the counter, he takes a few quick steps back away from Tommy. The bean gives him a narrow-lipped smile, before seemingly remembering something. "Oh!" Tommy reaches over the counter, and pulls up something small- it's Gordon's bag, held between a thumb and a pointer finger. "Is- this is yours, isn't it?"

Gordon swallows, and he can feel his tail whipping anxiously behind him, but he nods anyways. Tommy slowly extends his bag out, waiting for Gordon to take it. He meets Tommy half way, cautiously approaching and darting back once he's grabbed it. Once Tommy's hand is pulled back, Gordon opens the flap and scans its contents- two grapes, two seeds, and his borrowing tools. Everything in it's place, just slightly jostled from being handled.He pulls his hook from the side of his bag, and looks up at Tommy suspiciously as he slides the straps over his shoulders.

Tommy looks antsy. "Do you- are you leaving?" Gordon swallows nervously, but nods. He can see Tommy's face fall. "Will I see you again?" He hesitates, and ends up shrugging. Tommy nods, disappointed, but looks back up with a tight-lipped smile. "Well... it was nice to meet you, anyways."

Gordon doesn't know why, but he almost feels... _bad._ He manages to give Tommy a little smile and a wave before he turns to head into the pantry, and he sees the bean's expression brighten as it gives him a wave back. "G-Goodbye!"

The door to the pantry is slightly ajar, and he's about to step inside, but hesitates. He turns back to look into the kitchen- Tommy's not watching him leave, instead picking up the tupperware and dishtowel and washing them in the sink. Gordon sighs, and steps inside. Once he's hidden by the door, he takes a deep breath.

"Freeman." He swallows. "M-My name's Gordon Freeman."

There's a pause. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Freeman!"

Gordon lets out his breath, and walks through the pantry and into the walls. Once he's in the tunnel, he slumps against the wall, pressing his palms into his eyes and dragging them back down his face- he grimaces as he remembers he's damp with cooking oil. God, he needs a bath. 

He picks himself up with a groan, hiking his bag up his shoulders and walking deeper through the tunnels. Hopefully the Coomers would let him use their soap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the eagle has landed. i repeat, the big and the small are interacting, the EAGLE has LANDED
> 
> it's been a business week, hasn't it, business friends? thank u for the nice things that you say it means a lot that people like this little story :]  
> as always, @pilbugg on tumblr. wear a sweater and be home by eight


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